


In the Witch Woods

by Orcish



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Medieval Fantasy, Meeting the Family, Time Travel, Urban Fantasy, brendol hux is an asshole, witch Kylo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 18:46:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8679214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orcish/pseuds/Orcish
Summary: Hux knows that magic doesn’t exist, but when he steps through the door of Kylo's hut everything feels possible.





	

The cobbled stone floor of Kylo’s hut is cool even in the heat of summer. Drying herbs tied into bundles release their fragrances into the air and the fire under the pot crackles softly, radiating heat. Hux can hear the soft scrape of the wooden spoon as Kylo stirs the mixture. He’d once asked, if Kylo needed to do a certain number of turns like in Harry Potter, and Kylo had scoffed at him. 

He always feels detached from time in there, like he’s in a medieval fantasy book, but then one of their phones chimes and he’s reminded that somewhere outside these walls the real world exists. Busy streets, cars and their toxic fumes, fucking Kardashians. 

He doesn’t know how old Kylo is – he looks about Hux’s age, but the one time he had asked, Kylo had just smiled at him and stayed silent. It made his skin crawl and he didn’t ask again. It is not difficult to believe in the impossible when he’s here, surrounded by glass jars filled with snails and eyes and strange mushrooms. 

He knows that magic doesn’t exist – _knows_ it – but when he steps through the door he forgets. Everything is possible here – even soft kisses and allowing himself to be pressed into a soft mattress, a hot mouth traveling all over his skin. Out there he is the son of Brendol Hux, billionaire entrepreneur, with responsibilities and a suitable, smart marriage in his future – here he’s just Tage, a silly boy who hates olives and who shrieks when Kylo tickles him. 

Sometimes he wonders what it would be like to stay here forever – if Kylo’s hut was like a fairy realm he could get trapped in if he ate the food. (But he has, he has, and he still walked out into the real world. The wind was bitter cold that day.) 

What if one day he opened the door and saw different trees outside, older and stranger, and no trace of the city he lives in? He doesn’t think that he’d mind. 

He doesn’t remember how he and Kylo met – one day they were just sitting side by side on a lecture, exchanging notes like old friends. Sometimes it feels like Kylo enchanted him; made him fall in l- made him like him with a flick of a finger or a potion-laced touch on the back of his hand. 

He knows that it’s not that simple. He has no one to blame but himself for noticing the long curl of Kylo’s lashes, the sweet lopsided grin, the terrifying power when he’s angry (when those assholes had called them faggots and Hux could barely rein him in, all that strength and fury ready to erupt and drown the jeering idiots), the softness of his thick hair, the large hands touching him as if he was fragile like one of the dried flowers sitting in a vase on Kylo’s nightstand. 

He wants to believe in miracles, that somehow he can keep this – that he’s not living on borrowed time and needing to wake up. His father is already speaking of everything he’ll delegate onto Hux once he graduates in less than a year, to teach him how to run the company he’ll inherit in time – but no one’s ever asked him if he wants to. 

The heat from the fire is stifling and Hux opens his shirt more, revealing sweaty skin. He doesn’t know how long he’s been here – he knows that he was supposed to meet his father later, meet someone he wanted to introduce (it’s a girl, he just knows it – his father is already speaking of marriage and children, tradition and lines of inheritance, security and future) but he doesn’t want that. He doesn’t want it, even if no one cares, and his phone is set to silent, in his bag next to the door. He knows that he’ll pay for it later; that there will be a line of messages and missed calls waiting for him when he checks his phone, and no “sorry sir, I lost track of time and forgot my phone was on silent” will save him from the lashing that will follow. (With words – “we are not barbarians, Armitage” - not with a belt like that one time when he was a child and ruined the pretty cake for his parents’ party. He had just wanted to taste it a little.)

“Shh, Tage, it’s alright,” Kylo speaks and his long fingers brush through Hux’s hair. 

He hadn’t noticed Kylo finish, the mixture – potion, he always teases – bottled and ready and his face sweaty from the heat. Hux pulls Kylo closer and feels the remaining heat of the fire on his front, a clear contrast to the cold of the stone against his back and he sighs happily. He spreads his legs and allows Kylo to settle in between them, elbows braced on the floor so he can kiss all of Hux’s freckles (or at least try). 

“I should go,” he says reluctantly. 

“I know,” Kylo replies and reaches for his buttons. 

The stone is even colder against bare skin and the edges of the stones feel rough, but he welcomes the scrape, grounding him into this moment and maybe giving him something to remember it by. As if reading his mind, Kylo bites into his neck, teeth and lips working and Hux knows that he should stop him, but he doesn’t want to – he wants to be marked. (Like cattle, his father had said when he had first showed up with a hickey. Are you a cow, Armitage? Moo. You need a fine woman, one who doesn’t leave vulgar marks like she’s branding you.) 

The penetration stings – Kylo knows how he likes it by now – and he clings to strong shoulders as Kylo moves inside him, bewitching him all over again with his body and his lips and the soft sounds he makes against Hux’s sweaty skin. Hux wishes he could live in this moment forever. 

When Kylo pulls out, he flops onto his back, the fire flickering on his skin. Hux turns to lean against him (boys don’t cuddle, Armitage) and Kylo’s arms wrap around him, pulling him in. 

“I don’t want to leave you, Kylo,” he whispers. 

Kylo kisses his brow and holds him until he falls asleep. 

He dreams of endless meadows, holding a woven basket while Kylo gathers herbs, relaxed and enjoying the soft heat of the sun. He dreams of swimming with dolphins who morph into young girls and laugh and dance around them. He dreams of flying on a giant eagle, or maybe a dragon, Kylo’s arms around him holding him secure as they glide over hills and glittering water. He dreams of falling asleep in the shade of a tree, Kylo’s heartbeat underneath his cheek, and waking up to a fox chittering at him. He pets the soft fur and smiles when the animal shuffles closer. 

Hux wakes up on the hard floor, the fire only embers now, and Kylo’s hair tickling his brow. He detaches himself and gets dressed, already pulling inside himself in preparation for the verbal lashing he’ll receive when he’s back in the real world. 

“Hux. You know you can stay here, right?” Kylo says softly. 

“My father…”

“Will not find you, if I will it so,” Kylo says, and he wants to believe. 

Hux kisses him goodbye and steps into darkness, a few stars visible above the canopy of the trees. When he steps into the glow of streetlights, most of them disappear. 

His father is furious and leaves a stinging handprint on his cheek. In the morning, he meets his bride-to-be. She is beautiful and sweet and all wrong wrong wrong. 

He entertains her properly for the next few days, makes proper conversation and accompanies her to theatre and even the zoo. The dolphins make something tickle at his memory – like a dream from a long ago. When she leaves, she wears a glittering ring on her finger, and Hux kisses her cheek on the airport. 

His father approves and pats his back, but something inside Hux is screaming. 

Kylo opens the door after the first knock and Hux throws himself at him, clinging and shaking. 

“Help me,” he whispers. “Save me.” 

Kylo kisses his hair and pulls him inside. He shuts the door and lifts a bar into the holders Hux hadn’t noticed – no one from the outside can get in. 

Hux slowly relaxes as Kylo strips him, kissing each uncovered area and pressing him into the soft mattress, holding his wrists to make sure he has no escape, and he lets go, accepting everything Kylo will give to him. 

“I want to mark you,” Kylo says in the morning. “With a witch’s mark, showing that you belong to me – that anyone who hurts you will answer to me.” 

Hux knows it’s crazy, but he agrees. (Are you a cow? Moo.) Kylo holds his hand as he draws onto Hux’s inner wrist with a paste made of herbs, and chants. Hux’s hair stands up and he shivers – it feels like there is something in the room with them, something big and powerful, and Kylo’s eyes glint golden in the firelight. 

His wrist burns and Hux cries out in surprise, trying to pull his hand away, but Kylo holds onto him. Hux bites his lip and watches as the strange mark burns into his skin. When Kylo gently wipes away the paste, Hux sees that it left behind a reddish brown mark – brighter than any henna tattoo he’s seen. 

“Does it still sting?” Kylo asks. 

“A little,” Hux admits. 

“I’ll get some aloe vera to put on it, wait here.” 

He waits and Kylo returns, treating the burn gently. When he’s finished, he pulls Hux into his arms and holds him tight. 

“You are mine now, Tage. He can’t take you away. Wherever you go, I will always find you.” 

Hux clings to him, knowing that life is not that simple, but wishing with everything he has that it was. 

He checks his phone while Kylo makes breakfast and notices that he has no signal. It’s odd – Kylo’s hut usually gets almost full bars – but he doesn’t mind. A little more time away from reality is just what he needs. 

They eat in comfortable silence and Hux watches the way Kylo’s hair curls under his quirky ears. His bride-to-be had blonde, almost white hair, and it was completely straight. He prefers Kylo’s messy curls – he loves sinking his fingers into them. He doesn’t want to leave Kylo. 

“Would you like to meet my parents?” Kylo asks suddenly. 

“I thought they were dead?” Hux asks, hesitant. 

“Sometimes they are. Time is a strange concept.” 

Hux doesn’t understand, but he’s suddenly curious to see where this quirky creature came from. He nods. 

Kylo removes the bar over the door – there’s a glowing rune above it Hux didn’t notice the night before – and reaches a hand towards Hux. Hux grabs it and reaches for his bag with his other hand. 

“Leave it. You won’t need it.” 

Hux doesn’t question it. He doesn’t want to speak to his father anyway. 

Kylo pushes the door open and Hux hears chirping. It’s weirdly loud – there are not many birds in the scattered trees around Kylo’s hut. He follows Kylo out and looks up, freezing in shock. There are massive, old trees surrounding them – not the thin trunks he’s used to – and there are strange, purple flowers on the ground. 

“What-”

“This is where I’m from, Tage,” Kylo says with a gentle smile. 

“How?” Hux manages, his eyes wide. 

“Magic,” Kylo winks at him. “I told you I am a witch.” 

Hux had teased him for a long time about that – with a number of Harry Potter jokes – and had accepted that Kylo was a neo-pagan with weird religious beliefs. He didn’t expect _actual_ magic. 

“I think I need to sit down,” Hux said. 

His legs felt like he’d collapse any moment. Kylo, the infuriating brute he was, grabbed him into his arms and carried him. 

“Put me down,” he protested. 

“No,” Kylo replied. 

Hux sighed and leaned his head against Kylo’s shoulder, closing his eyes. He could ignore all the craziness, if he just focused on Kylo. After a while, Kylo stopped and he opened his eyes. They had reached the edge of the woods. Kylo set him down gently. 

“You should walk on your own now. I need to keep an eye out for people – there are bandits in this area.” 

“Bandits?” Hux lifted an eyebrow. “And wouldn’t they use the cover of the trees to their advantage?” 

“They don’t dare to enter the Witch Woods,” Kylo said. “But they might attack us because I’m not wearing my usual garb. They cannot hurt us, but it’s best I be prepared in any case.” 

“Witch Woods,” Hux whispered. 

This was crazy, he was clearly dreaming and as such he should just enjoy the ride. He would have to return to reality soon enough. 

Kylo led him through a meadow onto a dirt road. There were trees to the sides, but they seemed less imposing than the ones next to Kylo’s hut. They saw a man on the road – he was dressed like a peasant of times past and carried a large bundle. He looked at Hux like he was something odd and startled when he saw Kylo. He bowed quickly. Kylo ignored the man. 

Two men stepped out of the trees to block their way. Hux glanced around and saw two more behind them. 

“Hand over your valuables and we’ll let you go,” the man with lighter-coloured skin in front of them spoke. “If not, I’ll let Finn here have a go.” 

The man waved at the muscular man next to him, dark hands wrapped around a terrifyingly large axe. Hux swallowed. 

“Really, Poe?” Kylo said, and the man jolted. “Are you sure you want another go?” 

“Ben?” Poe asked. 

Kylo glared at him. 

“I mean Kylo,” the man added hastily. “I didn’t recognize you without your robe. You may pass, of course.” 

“As if you could stop me,” Kylo muttered. 

He gripped Hux’s hand tighter and pulled him forward, towards the bandits. They parted to let them through. 

“I’ll tell Rey you said hi,” Poe hollered after them. 

“Don’t bother,” Kylo replied. 

“Rey?” Hux asked, feeling that that was a relatively safe subject to latch onto. 

“My cousin of sorts. No actual blood relation, but my uncle and his lover raised her. She’s a witch, too, as is my uncle.” 

They walked until Kylo noticed that Hux was getting tired. They sat on the side of the road to have a break and Kylo pulled food and water bottles from his bag. 

“When did you pack this?” Hux asked, surprised. 

“While you slept. I moved us after you fell asleep.” 

Hux didn’t question it, his brains already overloaded with all this weirdness. He leaned against Kylo instead. 

The sun was high up when they got into a village. 

“Prince Ben!” Someone exclaimed and Hux turned to look at them. 

“Ceepio,” Kylo replied. “What are you doing here?” 

“The Queen has sent me to retrieve a package,” the slim man with golden hair spoke. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Prince Ben! Your mother misses you!” 

“We are on our way to see her,” Kylo replied abruptly. “This is Hux, my lover.” 

“Your- I see. Would you like a ride to the castle? I came with a carriage.” 

Kylo hesitated, then looked at Hux. “Yes, thank you.” 

The strange man chattered the whole way they sat in the carriage, about people Prince Ben apparently knew. Hux had given up on making sense of this strange dream, but knew that there would be a mental breakdown somewhere in his future. 

The castle was small, but beautifully built and there was a rose garden to the side. Hux felt seriously underdressed and grimy from the road. 

Kylo’s mother was a beautiful woman with dark hair striped with silver and wrinkles on her face from a life well lived. She welcomed Hux warmly, making him ache for his own mother for a moment. She had been taken by illness when Hux was just a boy. Kylo hugged her and bristled when she called him Ben, but didn’t correct her. Hux got the feeling that it was a battle he had lost long ago. 

When Kylo’s father entered the room, his whole demeanor changed and became colder. Hux squeezed his hand and was rewarded with a quick smile. 

“Really, Ben?” His father said. “You should find a nice girl to settle down with – you’re going to be King one day!” 

“You know I’m a witch, father,” Kylo said, gritting his teeth. “I will not waste my time in a castle. Let Rey inherit the titles.” 

“She is not of blood,” he replied disapprovingly. “You need to produce an heir to continue the line. Unless your potions and spells can make this one pregnant-” he waved at Hux “-it’s about time you find a bride.” 

“Really, Han, must you start?” the Queen intercepted. “Let’s just enjoy our time together. Hux seems like a nice young man.” 

\---

After an exhausting evening, they retired into Kylo’s rooms. Hux was offered his own set of rooms, but they refused, and when the Queen protested for propriety’s sake, Kylo grabbed Hux’s hand and showed the mark on his wrist to her. She quieted after that. 

“When will I wake up,” Hux asked between hungry kisses. 

“Never,” Kylo said. “This is all real.” 

“You, a prince? Right. Classic fairytale twist,” Hux mocked. “Oh please, Prince Ben, make love to me.” 

Kylo shut him up with a kiss. 

\---

The following day saw the arrival of two men and a young woman. 

“You called for Luke, mother?” Kylo asked, disapproving. 

The other man, Wedge, was wearing a mark on his wrist very similar to the one Hux wore, but with slight differences. Kylo explained that each witch had their own mark they bestowed on those most dearest to them. Hux noticed that the Queen wore no such mark – either they had not offered, or she had refused. 

They stayed for three days before Rey gave them a cart ride to where they met the bandits – Finn and Poe were apparently old friends of her and she wanted to visit them. Hux didn’t even try to understand how the Queen’s brother’s ward could call bandits friends. He did notice that Rey carried both Luke’s and Kylo’s marks on her wrists. 

When they got back to the cottage, Hux decided that it had all just been a crazy dream and as soon as he woke up, the world would be back to normal. They washed up and settled into clean sheets to sleep, too tired for anything else. When Hux woke up, he nuzzled against Kylo’s chest and felt strong arms wrap around him. 

“I had the strangest dream,” Hux said. 

Kylo chuckled and kissed him. He pulled Hux on top of him and gripped his hips as Hux grinded against him, trying to get them both off. When they got up to make breakfast, Hux froze in the doorway as he saw the gifts the Queen had sent with them. Kylo ignored his reaction and started the fire. 

“We could visit your mother next, if you want,” Kylo said. 

Hux swallowed. “She’s…”

“I know,” Kylo said with a soft smile. “So is everyone, at one point in time.” 

“I would like that,” Hux replied. 

He sat and watched as Kylo prepared breakfast, long fingers chopping and stirring expertly as he prepared a soup of sorts. It wasn’t the weirdest breakfast Hux had eaten in this small hut. 

The flickering fire cast shadows on the walls and the comforting, familiar smell of the herbs made Hux relax. Even if his life was crazy, he could handle it – with Kylo by his side and far away from any forced matches. 

Hux caressed the mark on his wrist and smiled. Maybe he could really see his mother – when she was still full of life. Maybe he could stay here forever, in this strange little hut with this quirky large man who was full of passion and sometimes rage, but always touched him like he was precious. 

He could live like that. 

**Author's Note:**

> I started thinking of different kinds of floors and wondered what kind of house could have cobbled stone floors, and somehow this fic happened.


End file.
